Computer systems continue to become ever more compact while also becoming ever more capable, and this is at least partially driven by each of the components of computer systems continuing to perform an ever increasing variety of functions. Specifically, the integrated circuits (ICs) of computer systems continue to be designed to incorporate ever more features and options to offer to the manufacturers of the computer systems in which these ICs are used.
A recurring problem for manufacturers of both the ICs and the computer system circuitboards to which the ICs are attached is providing support for increasing quantities of signal pins that must be provided for the ICs for the ever growing number of features and options. Ever increasing quantities of pins require ever more expensive IC packaging that can provide ever more pins. Furthermore, for the sake of compactness and maintaining short internal conductor lengths, these more expensive IC packages usually position these larger quantities of pins in ever denser concentrations, requiring ever denser placement of conductive traces and solder pads (or other conductive solder locations) on circuitboards, thereby increasing circuitboard costs. Given the added costs and complexities of adding more pins to an IC package, it is desirable to find ways to limit the number of pins a given IC requires.
A common way to limit the number of pins is to make tradeoffs between functions and the quantity of pins, and usually, this results in limiting the functions to be carried out by a given IC, and perhaps placing some functions into a different IC, which may increase the quantity of ICs in a given electronic device. However, a recurring goal for the design and building of computer systems is to drive down costs and increase reliability by reducing the overall quantity of components used in a computer system, including ICs.